On the leased operation there are at least five stock tanks, three of
which are very large and surrounded by old growth timber and vegetation.On our owned farm there is one tank that is surrounded by the same type
vegetation.During the winter these
tanks are populated with numerous (sometimes as many as 100 or more) Mallards,
Gadwalls and Wood Ducks.These tanks
offer exceptional cover and often when startled the birds will simply move from
one tank to another ultimately returning.We
have taken care not to disturb the trees and/or vegetation around these water
sources.We have also placed unused
commercial turkey nesting boxes, as well as wooden duck houses around two of the
most concealed tanks. These houses offer nesting boxes for the birds that
will adapt to them.

White-tail Deer & Other Wildlife:

The white-tail deer are a big concern of ours.I enjoy the hunting season as a pastime as well as a social season with
my close friends and family.When
clearing pasture land we always leave a buffer or “rough zone” around newly
cleared spaces allowing a transition to tall timber.In this rough-zone, native grasses and weeds are allowed to flourish to
provide forage for dove & quail as well as deer and other wildlife.We provide automatic corn feeders on a year-round basis.At each feeder location we also provide protein & salt/mineral blocks
to insure that the deer maintain a healthy diet.Each feeder site also contains a digital game camera.The photographs help us determine the doe to buck ratio, as well as to
identify the animals that need to be culled.

My brother-in-law, Dr. Michael Fromm, DVM, assists with analysis and
joins in the annual hunting season.It
is our goal to provide a balanced population of healthy well developed deer and
a habitat that can sustain them.Dr.
Fromm suggested that we plant food plots at various locations around the farms.